School Manager Fit and Proper Person Assessment Update
The Ministry of Education has changed the way it assesses school managers as fit and proper persons.
School managers are now individually required to submit a fit and proper person application digitally through ESL. The application requires school managers to upload a completed statutory declaration and, if they are not registered teachers, a recent criminal record check.
School managers must submit a new fit and proper person application every three years to provide ongoing assurance to the Secretary of Education that they are fit and proper persons.
Schools must have their managers assessed as fit and proper persons under the updated assessment to meet registration requirements and satisfy ERO as part of their school review process.
Private school managers are defined under the Education and Training Act 2020 as persons who manage and control the school, whether or not they have a proprietary interest in it. The Ministry’s advice is that school managers are those persons at the principal level or above (e.g. board members).
School managers are required to submit their applications individually. To do so, they must have an ESL login. Your school should have at least one delegated authoriser who is responsible for managing access to ESL. If you are unsure who this is at your school, you can reach out to the Ministry of Education Service Desk at service.desk@education.govt.nz or call 0800 422 599.
For more information, please visit the Ministry of Education website here.
If you have any questions about this update, please reach out to your Ministry education advisor. If you are unsure who this is, please email safety.checking@education.govt.nz.
